Thor - Savory Start to the Summer movie Seasoning?

The Mighty Thor was always one of my favorite Marvel super heroes. God ... Avenger ... Guy with feathers on his hat ... So just the very IDEA of a feature length picture with him as the star is an awesome one to me. However ... It feels like there's been a LOT of live action comic book movies thrown at us lately. And you can't help but worry that the films are now just being churned out as quickly as possible to only barely satiate the audience and grab some profit from their pockets while there's still some interest ... without regard to effort or quality ... I think it's a reasonable concern. So, admittedly, I went into the movie, not 'skeptical', but 'wary'.

Thankfully? I was very pleasantly surprised. The basic plot is straightforward enough, as it should be with a comic book based film. Thor, played extremely well by Chris Hemsworth, the God of Thunder, and rightful heir to the throne of Asgard, is stripped of his power and banished to Earth after his stubbornness and rash actions put Asgard on the brink of war with their ancient enemies the Frost Giants. Not to give TOO much away from that point, but he meets some humans, learns some lessons, and engages in a healthy share of fisticuffs throughout. And much like the Iron Man films, Thor is also poised as a prelude the Avengers movie coming out in 2012.

FYI - This isn't the FIRST time the Thunderer has appeared on film!

Adventures in Babysitting (1987)

The Incredible Hulk Returns (1988)

But it's easily the best. The special effects are incredible. Even the 3D was solid enough. Everything Asgard (of which about 70% of movie takes place) was done beautifully. Populate it with stellar fight scenes and praiseworthy characterizations of these mythical icons? Anthony Hopkins as Odin to Idris Elba as Heimdall were terrific, but the best all around was Tom Hiddleston as Thor's mischievous brother Loki. True to form, you could never quite tell what the Trickster God was thinking or had up his sleeve, but you could clearly gather, even in the scenes where he says nothing at all, the strength and complexity of his motivations.

At 2 hours and change running time, the movie is a sturdy length, with one of the few criticisms being the lack of time afforded the "romance" of Thor and Jane Foster, played by ... *yawn* ... Natalie Portman. They met, she watched him fight, he listened to what she had to say, and then they were in love. They COULD have made more of his time on Earth, but then the movie would have to have pushed at least the 2 and HALF hour mark, perhaps making the audience a bit restless.

the rating system:

Loved it - one of the best movies I've seen in a long time and worth every cent of the ticket price. I can't state enough how much u need to go see this movie ...

Liked it - it was an enjoyable flick for the most part and I'm glad I watched it. Will I run out to buy it when released on video? ... Probably not.

Leave it - ranging from the truly forgettable to the "wait a minute ... that didn't make any sense" in the 1st 5 minutes after I leave the theater. Basically - a whole lotta nothin.

Loathed it - a movie that literally makes me ANGRY after I exit and for days and weeks after. Angry that I wasted my time and money, and angry that such a piece of shit was ever made and that people actually received payment to do so.

the verdict:

Loved it. Watch for Jane's assistant Darcy, played by Kat Dennings, as the scene stealer among the humans (she's flawless and can do no wrong in my eyes), but every Asgardian impresses in every single way. Also cool are the Frost Giants and the shiny mechanical monster - the Destroyer. One of the most enjoyable and satisfying adaptations of all the Marvel franchises to date. I'd even go so far as to say the best Marvel film, period, 2nd only to Spiderman 2.

... Yeah, I said it.